Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-10-27
THE Centennial HISTORY OF Ohio.
BIZ W. .FARRAND FKIcH.

On the 9th of May, 1885, Congress pro-
eeeded to the election of Surveyors OF
her newly acquired Northwest Terri
tory, and chose one for each State
Some time in July, 1856, the direction
of Thomas Hutchins, "GeOgrapher OF
the United States" assembled at Pitts
burg. Mr.. John Mathews, then quite a
Young man, aud afterwards a surveyor
for the Ohio Company, accompanied
the party as an assistant. Extracts OF
a Journal he kept will give an idea OF
the progress of the surveys not only,
but an inside view of the "Ohio Com
pany,u ofwhich Mr.. Buells dairy af-
forded the reader an outside view. In
his journal Mr.. Mathews gives daily
the state of the weather, and of the
height of the Ohio river not only, but
also an accurate description of the land
passed over-as to soil, timber and ap-
parent capability for crops. But this
serves only for temporary or local
interest, and is of no historical Value
The account of the surveys we also
omit for the same reason. After the
surveys were completed, he received an
appointment from Major Hamtramck
to take charge of the commissary at
Fort Stcuben, now Steubenville, and
later at Wheeling. He was, at this
time, a Young man of only twenty-one.
He continued in this capacity until
1888, when he was elected as one of the
suryeyers of the Ohio Company. He
met Col. Meigs at Fort Pitt and was
informed that some mechanics of the
company had already located for the
1. IF fhn VnhinnonU
so on the 1st of February he left for the
mouth of the "Yoh."
"February End. A fine day. &.
Arrived at Sumrill's Ferry on the Yoh,
at evening, where we found Major
White with twenty-five men from New
England. He informed me that Gen.
Putnam, with about thirty more men,
will be OH by the 10th of the month";
18th. In the afternoon arrived at
SumrilPs, where 1 had the pleasure of
seeing my honored uncle, Gen. Put
"Sunday, April 9th. Cloudy and
rainy ali day. At half-past eight
O'Clock a. m. everything on board and
we started for Muskingum with one
large boat of fifty tons, a flat and three
canoes.
"Monday, April 7th Cloudy and rainy
a part of the day. At twelve O'Clock
arrived at Muskingum and encamped
on the upper side of its mouth. Our
whole party consists of forty-two men,
surveyors and all. We found about
seventy Delaware and Wyandot In
dams. including women and children,
who are here to attend the treaty, and
annear very friendly.
-"Tuesday, 9th. High wind and scat
tering clouds from the southwest. The
party busy all day in unloading the
boats, making shelters to live in, etc.
Col. Sproat and myself are to begin
surveying on the morrow" Under
such auspices was the first fixed settle
ment in the State begun, and the enter
prise shown augurs we'll for the future.
Mr., Mathews married daughter of
Judge Woodbridge, Of Marietta, and
settled on Moxahala creek in Musking-
um county, where he became man of
great wealth and prominence.
THE SETTLEMENT OF MARIETTA.
The first county formed within the
limits of Ohio was Washington county,
fitly named after the father of his cOun-
try. 1t was formed July 9th, 17SS, by
proclamation of Governor st. Clair, the
first Governor of the State. 1t includ-
ed all of Ohio east of the SciOto and the
Cuyahoga rivers-in fact all the terri
tory in the State that had been explor-
ed to any great extent. 1t was settled
by the New England "Ohio Company"
and many of its early settlers were from
the best New England families. Their
descendants constitute the larger share
of the present population.
In the autumn of 1875, detachment
of United States troops under Major
John Doughty commenced building Ft.
Harmar on the right bank of the
Muskingum, at its junction with the
Ohio. It was named in honor of Col.
Josiah Harmar, to whose regiment
Mai Doughty was attached. Except
ing Fl. Laurens, it was the first military
post erected in Ohio. 1t embraced
three. quarters of an acre, the outlines
forming q pentagon. 1t was occupied
until 1870, when the troops were order
ed to Cincinnati, A company under
Capt. Haskell continued in the forts
during the Indian wars, and the houses
and barracks not needed for troops
were occupied by the inhabitants of
Marietta on the opposite side of the
Muskingum. This fort was erected
preparatory to thesettlement ofMariet-
ia.
In the autumn of 1857, the Directors
of the Ohio Company (not to be con-
founded with Washington's "Ohio
Company") of New England organized
for settlement. On the 23rd of Novem-
ber they made arrangements for aparty
of forty seven men to set forward under
Gen. Rufus Putnam; and not long
after, during that winter, they set forth
on their perilous journey. Some of
these were Revolutionary soldiers linen
who had spent the prime of life in the
struggle for liberty, as were also most of
those who followed them. They pres
sed forward that winter over the old
Indian path crossing the Alleghanies,
which had been opened into Broddocks
road. BY April they were all gathered
on the Yohiogany, where boats had
been built, and they then started down
the Ohio for the mouth of the Mus
kingum, landing on the 7th of April,
1888.
Gen. Arthur st. Clair had been ap.
pointed the Governor of the Northwest
Territory the preceding October, but
had not yet arrived; SO temporary
government was begun, with Return
Jonathan Meigs as Governor pro tenn
pore. A set Of laws was passed and
published by being nailed to tree
growing in the incipient village; but